Notes: It’s nice to see something refreshing. Admittedly, I’ve been a little disinterested with pens lately. After nearly 5 years of finding the perfect fountain pens and ink for myself, I feel like I’m achieving a sort of “pen nirvana” in which my level of enlightenment cannot grow higher. That’s why it’s up to the small makers and creators to do something different, as the larger brands seem to think that new color is totally fine in place of innovation. Anyway, I’ll save it for another article, this one’s about a cool pen that Clayton Poppe sent me to check out before it hits Kickstarter.

The RIIND pen (named after an orange peel because of the knurling) is a machined aluminum pen that supports the G2 refill. There’s a unique asymmetrical clip, great twist mechanism, and tight tolerances throughout that make these interesting. They definitely fit well within my preferred pen aesthetic – clean with some low-key details that give the pen personality. There are four versions – black w/ black clip, black w/ silver clip, raw aluminum, and grey anodized w/ silver slip (my personal favorite).

The refill is extended by twisting the back of the pen. What’s cool about it is how it does so. The knock (is it still a knock if it turns!?) twists 360º and every half turn either extends or retracts the tip.

There’s some subtle branding under the knock, then the clip, followed by a modestly long pen body, ample knurled grip section, and finally a rounded conical tip. The size and weight are comfortable without being too long or too heavy. It would be cool to see a shorter Parker-style version as well.

If I had to pick something out about the pen that I’m not 100% on, it would be how far it sticks out of my pocket when clipped on. I really like the look of the asymmetrical clip, but it does make the pen stick out a fair amount.

I’m definitely excited for the RIIND to hit Kickstarter. The design is polished, the assembly and construction are great, and the concept is just unique enough to set it apart from the hundreds of Kickstarter pen projects out there. Thanks to Clayton for sending the prototypes over, I’m going to have a hard time sending them back! I’ll update this post with links to the project when it’s launched. Until then, check out their website.

[Update]: The RIIND Pen is now live on Kickstarter. A $125 pledge secures you a pen with an October delivery date. While the pen is really nicely crafted, I think I’m experiencing a little bit of sticker shock. There’s obviously a lot of design that went into the pen, including the custom clip and mechanism. Tight tolerances on a finished product means using better equipment to manufacture parts (which also cost more). For some reason, I expected the pen to be between $65 and $85, so the $125 price tag was a shock. Is it worth the asking price? That’s for you to decide!

[Update 2]: The RIIND Pen has been reduced in price! After some feedback, and strong initial interest, Clayton has reduced the price of the pen to $95. This break in price definitely puts the pen in a better price bracket. There’s only a few more days left in the campaign.

4 thoughts on “RIIND Pen Prototype Review”

I just got the email from Clayton indicating that you’ve shipped my pen. The email only said it was from Clayton Poppe. In this day and age of phishing attacks, it caused me pause to determine if this was a phishing scam or not. You might want to add additional information to your email, letting people know you’re trustworthy.

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